As far as ms. Draycott goes she not only got caught stealing she did it in uniform while under the influence of alcohol. Several issues are at hand with ms. Draycott that will be revealed in time. She should be stripped of even having the honor or being called a fire fighter or paramedic. The young lady who was a rider for school may need to consider a career change if a non pornographic picture offended her. She will be seeing a whole new world of images the day she steps in the back of the ambulance, front of the fire truck or the doors of that er. Some images may never leave her. Some are gratifying some are heart wrenching and some are mortifying. People who work in the fire department live as a family you spend as much time at that station with them during the year as your children do in school. Sometimes a joke is needed to bring laughter to what you just saw on the call you just made.

And just FYI Mark Ubernincompoop- no one was charged with sexual harassment in this case. All they did was use the internet for things other than work. And those who have never done that, why don't you cast the first stone. Just remember the glass house you live in.

Mike, these two cases have nothing in common at ALL, and I do mean NOTHING!
According to the raging type of reporting YOU opted to place here, you obviously missed the part that said the females placed the said material ON THE OUTSIDE of their locker whereas the firefighters here (in Victoria) placed the material INSIDE their fellow worker. In addition, the result of this "bonding", an almost initiation for the newbies in no way taken personal by the new hire. If things were so bad, why didn't HE take the complaint to his chain of command and file a complaint instead. No, he blew it off (just as jokes are intended to be). But NOOO some little rat fink had to go running and tattletales-telling and whining about something that had nothing with her and go digging through the trash.
By the way, did you read through the story in whole? Your poor little victim was arrested for shoplifting. Sure doesn't sound like someone I would want a child to look up to.

mikeberman good info: if it was factual. During HFD's investigation they found that the two women wrote the sexiest remarks in their own locker. "going for a lawsuit pension" Dig a little deeper and you can find the real truth. Trust me if HFD's Union doesn't back them up there in the wrong.

@NeedToObserveCloser. Check out this recent JOKE in the Houston Fire Department. http://www.ultimateeastend.com/storie....

The articles spells out that ""There is reasonable cause to believe that Charging Party (Draycott) was personally and individually subjected to a hostile work environment based on her gender and that she was retaliated against," the letter stated. The EEOC's ruling said that "… management was well aware of the fact that Charging Party was being subjected to a hostile work environment because of her gender but failed to take corrective action."

Seems like the same firehouse standard of recognizing that pranks that "poke fun" at someone's sexuality, race, or even gender is recognized as bad behavior both in Victoria and in the Houston FD, which is staffed with 3-4 thousand firefighters.

Looks like the difference in Victoria vs. Houston FD is that Victoria management immediately addressed their issue and HFD did not. Oh, the other difference is that because the city of Houston didn't take action like Victoria, they entrenched in the federal system and by the sound of things, ol' Jane is going to be leaving the courthouse pushing a wheel barrel loaded with cold cash.

Observing, it sounds like with your attitude you'd fit well in HFD but not so much in VFD, where apparently they take care of business, not slap each other on the back and giggle about homosexual pictures on the outside of a new firefighter's locker. When they do that, the meter starts running for all of us who live here.

What a load of of cow manure!! As far back as 1995 I can remember "practical jokes" having placed among firefighters and it was no big hairy deal. Now comes in some female with an oversized ego ( one of Vance Riley many minions) hoping to climb the ladder with the new chief so to speak.

Some of the "pranks" played were never to be seen or heard about except by the joker or jokees until some nosey instigator had to stick her...um big ol nose in it.

Maybe her job performance needs to be put under a microscope and evaluated because some of the things she did far exceeded proper and prudent care of critically ill patients.